Decision Support in Organizational Transformation : IFIP TC8 WG8.3 International Conference on Organizational Transformation and Decision Support, 15–16 September 1997, La Gomera, Canary Islands

The main purpose of this paper is to contribute to the discussion about the design of computer and communication systems that can aid the management process. Within this perspective, computer and communication technologies are seen as an amplification of the human data processing capabilities which limit the decision process.

The main purpose of this paper is to contribute to the discussion about the design of computer and communication systems that can aid the management process. 1.1 Historical Overview We propose that Decision Support System can be considered as a design conception conceived within the computer industry to facilitate the use of computer technology in organisations (Keen, 1991). This framework, built during the late 1970s, offers computer and communication technology as support to the decision process which constitutes, in this view, the core of the management process. The DSS framework offers the following capabilities: • Access: ease of use, wide variety of data, analysis and modelling capacity. • Technological: software gel)eration tools. • Development modes: interactive and evolutionary. Within this perspective, computer and communication technologies are seen as an amplification of the human data processing capabilities which limit the decision process. Thus, the human being is understood metaphorically as a data processing machine. Mental processes are associated with the manipulation of symbols aOO human communication to signal transmission.